It hasn’t been too long since I last wrote about Cats and the Other Lives. Back in February, I got to play its demo during the Steam Game Festival, and I’m happy that Team Cultic decided to send me an exclusive press build to write about it again… After all, I really enjoyed the demo and I’m more than happy to write about the next few levels and my “first impressions” with it. I mean, technically, you heard my first impressions already and a lot from this post will sound similar to the little section there in my Steam Game Festival post, but they really polished this build and I’m happy about some bugs getting squashed and all of that new content that’s available.
But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves: What’s this game about? Cats and the Other Lives is a narrative experience with a touch of mystery that explores the reunion of a broken family. After grandfather Bernard passed away, the remaining members of the Mason family return to their childhood home once again… and we get to play as the house cat, Aspen! Yes, we’re a cat and we can meow… and run… and throw stuff on the ground. Our hearing is also very good and because animals are weird we can also see things that humans may not see, which is why we have to kind of solve this case through the perspective of a cat.
Some members of the family want to deal away with the house or make a clear cut while others are struggling to come to terms with that decision. On top of that, the different family members have subplots of their own. Not everyone is getting along and sometimes things can get quite hairy which is why we need to help them see things. We can be the house cat that brings love to the family members or we toss stuff to the ground to move them and bring secrets to their attention. Speaking of secrets, the house isn’t exactly normal. Strange things have occurred here. The atmosphere throughout the game is rather eery. At times, it’s somewhat ominous or oppressive. There are times where it’s a bit wholesome or where the drama is reaching its climax.
And what contributes a lot to the atmosphere is obviously the eery-looking art and the lovely soundtrack. I found those parts of the game to be quite satisfying. I really enjoyed my time with the demo and the press build didn’t let me down either. I’m really looking forward to the full release and further updates!
I guess the best part of the game is the developers’ creativeness. Some rather “stereotypical cat behaviours” are integrated into the game as tools to enable the player to progress through the story. I find that really satisfying as a player and I love the concept overall. Well done on that front! I also received a more than amazing e-mail from the developers, by the way, about their cats taking over and ordering me to play the new press release… It made my day. It’s one of the most creative and one of the best e-mails I’ve received in ages.
I guess I don’t have to say that I’m really excited for the full release. This build was rather polished. There have been a few bugs here and there but it wasn’t anything game-breaking. Just cats floating around and stuff. Nothing a reload couldn’t fix. And honestly, I’m more than happy about this game as it’s another game that supports various animal welfare organizations with a percentage of its profits. I hope you enjoyed this post!
Don’t forget to wishlist Cats and the Other Lives over here on Steam.
Cheers!
This post was first published on Indiecator by Dan Indiecator aka MagiWasTaken. If you like what you see here and want to see more, you can check me out on Twitch and YouTube as well. If you find this post on a website other than Indiecator.org, please write an e-mail to me. Thank you!
Indiecator 